Casement-window scaffold



y 1930- s. SMERK 1,757,396

CASEMENT WINDOW SCAFI-OLD Filed Nov. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y.

May 6, 1930. 5, MERK 1,757,396

BASEMENT WINDOW SCAFFOLD Filed Nov. 2'7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dmwm Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL L. SMERK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO w GASEMENT-WINDOW SGAZFFOLD Applicatiom filed November 27, 1928. Serial No. 322,231.

This invention relates to improvements in windowscafi'olds for use in the washing of Windows and more particularly to a scaffold 'foriuse upon casement Windows which, as is "'well known, are extremely difficult to washin "View of the fact'that the sashes swing outward'ly from the frame and it is inconvenient and dangerous for one to reach all of the panes of either sash at the outer side of the sash, and therefore the present invention has -i i11embody anchoring means of such construction that clamps and other extraneous clamping means are not required to be embel v "Another object of the invention is to providea casement window scaffold compris ng a pair of frame structures which may be readily mounted and anchored upon a casement window sill inspaced relation to each other and constitute firm supports for foot boards and guardrails which may be readily assembled'with the said frame structures, the invention contemplating, in connection with the' frame" structures, anchoring means embodying anchoring-bars which are adapted to be inserted between the oppositestiles of the window frame and the hinged sides 'of the two a window sashes, so that displacement of the frame structures is prevented'and the arrangementofthe scaffold as a whole-'uponthe windowframe' and the wall of the building is rendered very secure.

While the accompanying drawings and the description which is tofollow, constitute a disclosure of the preferredembodiment of the invention, it will beunderstood that various changes :may be made within the scope of lwhat is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: "Figure 1 is a perspectiveviewillustrating the"'scaffold,' embodying the invention, in-

stalled in a casement window, the sashes of the window being shown inpartly open position to enable them to be readily washed by one standing upon the scaffold; I

Figure 2 is a detailhorizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which the anchoring-members of the side frames'of the scaffold are arranged with respect to the win dow frame and sashes and anchored;

Figure 3 1s a new partly in elevation and partly in front to rear section illustrating the scaffold mounted for use;

Figure 4 is a view partlyin rear elevation andpartly in section illustratingthe scafiold.

The scaffolchembodying the invention in eludes-two slde frame structures-which are adapted 1n be mounted lnanchoring engagement with the sill of the casement window at h which the scaffold is to belocated, the window frame being indicated in general'by the reference letter A and the casement sashes by the reference letter B, these sashes being hingedly mounted upon the opposite stilesof the window frame, in the usual manner, so as tobe adapted to beswungoutwardly. The

scaffold also includes foot-and back-boards or rails which extend between thefiframesyand,

as illustrated in a the drawing, each of i the frames comprises front and rearuprights indicated respectlvely by the numerals Land 2 and a foot board supportingibar 3 whichis securecbbybolts or rivets 4: and 5 to the lower ends of the uprights land 2; respectively, the

upright l-b'eing secured to the/bar 3 inward- ,lyof the forward end thereof asshown in Figure 1; and the lower end of the upright 2 beingsecured to the-outer or rear end of the said bar 3,-so that the forward end portions of the barsm-3, whichareindicatedby the numeral 6, project forwardly-beyond the respective front uprights 1 and are adapted to abut against theouter surface of the wall of the-building below the window sill.

Each frame structure further includes a diagonal bracing frame bar Thavinga downwardly turned rear end 8 which is :disposed against one side of the respective upright 2 and through registering openings in which and inthe upright is'fittcd a bolt 9 having :1

fastening element 14 to the respective upright 2 near the upper endthereof. This structure provldes for a very firm relative t bracing of the uprights 1 and 2 of each frame structure, withrespect to each otherand also with respect to the board supporting bars 3.

In order that the frame structures may be anchored with respect to the sill of the window with which they are associated, a bar 14 is provided and secured at one end by the fastening element and constitutes a forward continuation of the upper end of the respective frame bracing bar 7, and this bar 14 is formed with a longitudinal series of openings 15 for a purpose which will now be made clear, An anchoring block '16 is provided in connection with each bar 14 and this block is of rectangular form and-of metal and provided with a slot 17 through which the respective bar 14 is fitted, the block 16 being adjustable along the bar and held in different positions of adjustment by means of a pin 18 which is fitted through openings formed in the block 16 on a line intersecting the slot 17 and through the openings 15, interchangeably, it being understood that by withdrawing this pin the block may be slidably ad usted to any desired point along the respective bar 14:.

It will now be understood, and particularly by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, that the frame structures are assembled with the window by inserting the bars 1 1 between the stiles of the window frame A and the hinged sides of the sashes B until the forward edges of the uprights 1 abut against the outer side of the sill of the window frame and the forward ends of the extensions 6 of the bars 3 engage against the wall of the building structure below the window sill, the blocks 16 being then fitted onto the inner end portions of the bars 14 and adjusted along the bars until they abut against a wooden cross piece 16, which is disposed at its end portions against the inner sides of the stiles of the window frame, the cross piece 16 resting at its lower end upon the upper edges of the bars 14 and the cross piece being in this manner supported in position, as shown most clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The openings in the blocks are in registration with certain of the openings 15 in the respective bars 14, whereupon the pins 18 are fitted through the openings in the said bars 14 and blocks 16 and the blocks thus secured against displacement with respect to the said bars. Inasmuch as the forward edges of the uprights 1 abut against the outer side of the sill of the window frame and the blocks 16 abut against the inner side of the sill, and, as the projecting ends 6 of the bars 3 abut against the wall of the building structure below the sill, it will be evident that the frames are anchored in a substantial manner in upright position. The foot boards, which are indicated by the numeral 19, may then be laid uponthe frame bars 3 and, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, hese boards will extend between the two frame structures and be supported near their ends upon the said bars 3 of said struc tures.

In order to safeguard a workman standing upon the foot boards 19, guard rails 20 are provided and these rails are supported upon the rear uprights 2 by brackets 21 each of which includes an attaching portion 22 which is bolted or otherwise secured as at 23 to one side of the upright 2, each bracket further including a forwardly extending portion 24 and a right angularly upwardly extending portion 25, the brackets being secured to each upright 2 one above another and with their portions 25 spaced with respect to the forward edge of the upright and, as shown in Figure 1, the end portions of the rails 20 are disposed between the portions 25 of the uprights of the two brackets and the forward edges of the said uprights and with their lower edges resting upon the portions 24 of the said brackets.

It will be understood from the foregoing and by reference to Figure 1 of the drawings that, due to the mannerin which casement window sashes are hingedly mounted, the bars 14 may be readily inserted between the stiles of the window frame'andthe hinged sides of the respective sashes and the sashes may be swung nearly to closed position and.

likewise swung open to approximately the position shown in Figure 1 thus enabling the window washer who is standing on the platform boards 19, to wash both sides of the panes of the window sashes without any in-.

convenience and without the danger which attends the washing of window sashes of this type without the use of a scafiold such as that embodying the invention.

In order that the scaffold structure maybe supported either in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings or in a somewhat more elevated position, one or more openings 26 are formed in each of the front uprights 1 and when it is desired to support the scaffold in a more elevated position,the

nuts upon the bolts 10 are removed and the i 7 bars 1 1 are separated from these bolts and disposed with their bolt openings in registration with the bolt openings 26 in the respective uprights 1 and bolts corresponding to the bolts 10 are fitted through the openings and nuts are applied thereto and tightened so as to secure the bars 14 to the uprights in 5 position projecting forwardly at right angles therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A window washers scaffold comprising a 10 pair of spaced platform supporting rails, a pair of front and a pair of rear Vertically disposed uprights, the pair of rear uprights being secured to the extreme outer ends of the rails, the pair of front uprights being 15 secured to said rails inward of the inner ends thereof for engagement with the outer face of a window sill, the projecting ends of the rails engaging the outer face of the wall below the window sill, a platform on said side Q0 rails between the front and rear pairs of uprights, supporting hooks on said rear pair of uprights, outer guard rails detachably supported by the hooks, a pair of spaced upper side rails each including a horizontal as; window engaging supporting portion projecting beyond the inner ends of the lower rails and downwardly and outwardly inclined guard portions, means securing the upper side rails to the front pair of uprights at the point of meeting of the horizontal window engaging portions with the downwardly and outwardly inclined guard portions, means securing the extreme outer ends of the guard portions with the rear pair of uprights, anchoring blocks adjustably mounted on the horizontal window engaging portions of the side rails, and a bridge bar of polygonal shape in cross section for spanning the window at the inner side thereof and engaged by said anchor blocks. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SAMUEL L. SMERK.

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